Meet Jason Conway, Author of TheGikkie Bokkers

What inspired you to become an author?I have always had an interest in books - especially in my childhood. I found it a fantastic way to escape into another world. As an adult, the magic of wonder becomes very sensible and it's a shame that it often gets lost. I rediscovered it through the eyes of my stepson. Through him, the magic was reignited and I felt a burning sensation deep inside – something was just jumping to get out. So, one night, my partner and I were discussing with her parents tales that she had been told as a child. The stories were so funny. I remarked that someone really ought to write that down, and during the conversation I realised that someone was me. And so my journey began.

What are Gikkie Bokkers?The infamous question!! They are a race of mystical creatures with unknown origins who secretly cultivate magical stout in order to mask their entire world from the human race – almost like a protective shield. Youngling Gikkie Bokkers are only two feet high however, their far more ferocious adult counterparts can grow to up to nine feet tall. When moving through the human realm, they move with stealth. If you see one, you could confuse it with a fox, or perhaps a dog. I guess it is like a badger and cat cross, standing on its back legs! They are furry. Up close, they have four arms, owl shaped eyes as well as two eye stalks on either side of their nostrels that are telescopic and glow in the dark. They are incredibly strong and very clever. Are they dangerous though?????

Did you always intend for The Gikkie Bokkers to be a series or did that idea come to you later on? I always knew that these stories could go on an on. As I was writing book one, a much bigger story began to unfold in my mind. It was then, as I was laying it out, I realised that there would be a series. I have said that there will be nine books in total. Its really exciting. I have so many adventures and new races of creatures to explore and intigrate into the stories. The human race does what the human race does and there are lessons learned along the way for all concerned.

You are a self published author. What has the experience been like for you? The experience has been very daunting. I realised very quickly that I wouldn’t have the backing of any publishing house. I thought, now what? How am I going to get this story printed? Be prepared for plenty of ‘no thanks’ answers. I got down about it to be honest, but then a few things happened very quickly. I was able to get a loan out to cover the financial side of the printing, which I wasn’t expecting. Then a cousin of mine, David King, in America recommended a friend of his in Ireland to handle the publishing. I have to say, I can’t thank them both enough. Ray, in FPC Graphics was so great with what I needed. He knew what to do and how to go about it. He took the fear out of the layout of the book itself, the quality of the paper, how the graphics would come out and the style of the cover and of course, the price. It was unbelieveable. My partner took care of the legal side of it – the barcode and all its details, registering the number, sending it off, all that stuff. So between them all, it happened. The next question was now what? There is no budget to employ large marketing companies to handle it all. A chance encouter lead to the book launch happening and there are several bookshops around the country now holding a stock. My book is actually on a bookshelf in a bookshop!!!! That is so humbling.

What do you hope children will take away from your book? I would love children to take away the wonder and fun that is in the book. Everyone gets something from it – even the big kids. It is full of possibility and adventure. There are elements that appeal to different people. Overall, I hope they get the magic and are keen to read on. To see kids sit in a bookshop or library and read – the expression on their faces is fantastic. Knowing that the imagination is fired up and they are actually transported into another world is brilliant. I hope they get that they too can follow whatever dream it is in their heart. A world of ‘yes I can’ instead of ‘no, not me. I couldn’t do that’ is so inspiring.

The illustrations for the book cover are amazing. Did you do them yourself or have them illustrated? Thank you. I did all the artwork myself. Each one is very time consuming. My background as a graphic designer made their creation possible. I used people I know as models and then did a combination of photoshop and 3D on them. For example, there is one graphic with one of the characters holding a gun. That photograpic started off with me in the kitchen holding the sweeping brush and my partner taking the picture. I then put the characters physical attributes to it and painted the rest of the picture around it. It is really cool to see them finished knowing what went into each one!

Are you currently working on Book Two? I have all nine books in my head. I have started to pen book two and have the plot synopsis almost completed. When I do that, I go into each element and create more around whatever speaks to me. Before long, chapters are created!! I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I have creating it. You can go to the website www.gikkiebokkers.com for more updates and videos. And yes, I created that myself too!!!